Lunch with Pacci
by blackandblueangel
Summary: She loved hanging out with Pacci. He was almost like a father. Warning! Minor character death!


**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS…that belongs to a guy with a last name that I can't spell. If you want to know who owns it…..look it up! Haha**

**Summary: She loved hanging out with Pacci. He was almost like a father.**

**Spoilers: Unsealed and Dead Man Talking**

Everytime Layla hung out at NCIS, Pacci always took her out to lunch during his lunch hour. She talked to him about everything when she needed someone to listen. That's what Layla liked about him: Pacci was a good listener. Even when Layla was seeing her therapist, she told Pacci things that she never told anyone, not even Kate. Layla loved Kate and all, but she couldn't tell her everything.

She and Pacci didn't really have a usual place. She'd meet him at NCIS and they'd chose from there. Today would be the last time Layla had lunch with Pacci. Her school was out for spring break. Pacci looked bummed when Layla got off the elevator; or maybe deep in thought. Either way, he did not look happy. "Hey, Pacci." Layla greeted with a smile.

Pacci looked up at her. "Hi, Layla, I'll be ready in a minute. I'm proof reading my report." He looked back at his computer.

Layla stood over by his desk. She looked around the office. Nothing special going on: Agents on their computers, filing papers, teams briefing each other, and Gibbs on the war path. Nothing new at NCIS, other than Pacci. He was usually cheerful. She turned her attention to Pacci. "Tough case?" she asked.

"Cold case is starting to warm up." He replied.

"I'll be back." She strolled over the Team Gibbs' bullpen. Gibbs was at his desk, looking for something and Kate and Tony were nowhere to be found. Gibbs found what he was looking for and rushed out of the bullpen, without acknowledging Layla. His case was also getting to him. Layla looked at Tony's desk; his keys were on top. Layla giggled and walked over. One of those keys had to belong to the locked desk drawers. She picked up Tony's keys and sat down in his chair to see which key was the right one. The third to she tried unlocked one of the drawers. She dropped the keys inside, closed the drawer, and then used the lock pick that Abby gave her to lock it, again. Satisfied with herself, Layla walked back over to Pacci.

He saved his file, logged off the computer, and stood up. "Where to?" he smiled.

"D.C. Beans" she suggested as the walked to the elevator.

Pacci press the down button and it immediately opened. "I thought you don't drink coffee." He pointed out as they entered the elevator.

"I don't, but their hot chocolate rocks." She answered as Pacci hit the first floor button.

"Fair enough." He responded as the elevator door closed.

D.C. Beans was a dead zone. Layla figured it being one in the afternoon on a weekday, it's be a little more crowded. Other than her and Pacci, there were three other customers. Layla ordered her favorite, large hot chocolate and a banana nut muffin, Pacci ordered a medium coffee, with milk and two sugars and a bagel. They sat at a table by the window. Layla was looking out it at the people passing by. "So, Layla, what's going on with Gibbs, your sister, and DiNozzo? Gibbs seems on the war path."

Layla laughed. "And that's different how?" she paused. "Some Navy Seal convicted of killing his wife and some other guy escaped from prison. Kate spent the night with his son and his grandparents."

Pacci raised an eyebrow. "Where were you?

"With Leslie. I'm babysitting Laina tomorrow, so no lunch." She replied.

Pacci looked away from Layla and out the window. "Pacci, what's wrong?"

Pacci looked back at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't play stupid. You look bummed." She pointed out.

Pacci nodded. "Just a case getting to me, nothing to worry about." He assured her. "So, how's school going?" he asked, changing the subject.

Layla rolled her eyes and nodded. "Okay, you don't want to talk about it. School is school. It's boring, annoying, and a waste of time. I'll already know this stuff."

"What, do you have an IQ of one thousand?" he asked, laughing.

Layla shrugged. "Close enough, they put me in honors classes and I'm still bored."

"Yeah, well, whether or not you are bored, you still need to go. So, stop getting yourself suspended and pretend you're learning something. Also, it wouldn't kill you to make a friend or two." He instructed.

Layla groaned. "Did Kate tell you to tell me this?" she asked.

Pacci smiled. "No, but I'm sure she's been telling you this a lot."

"Only, everytime I get suspended." She clarified.

Pacci looked at his watch. "We better get back." He said, as he stood up.

Layla followed his lead. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked.

They started walking to the parking lot. "Yes, Layla, I'll be okay." He answered.

"Is it your cold case?" she asked, as she sat in the passenger front seat of Pacci's car.

"Yes, but I can't talk about it." He answered as the drove away.

They made it back to NCIS. Pacci went back to his desk and Layla sat at Kate's desk and logged onto her computer. Tony came in. "Okay, you Little Monster, where are my keys?" he demanded.

Layla rolled her eyes. "What makes you think I have them?" she asked.

"Because you have before!" he answered.

Layla giggled. "Yeah, I have." She recalled.

"Give me my keys, Layla!" Tony demanded, again.

Layla didn't move. "Give him his keys, Layla." Gibbs instructed, as he entered the bullpen.

"Fine." Layla huffed and walked over to Tony's desk. She took the lock pick from the pocket of the purple jeans she was wearing and opened the drawer with it. She picked up the keys and tossed them to him. "Here." She walked back to Kate' desk, without closing the drawer.

Tony walked over and closed it for her. "When are you going to use your brain for good?" he asked.

"When good stops being so boring." She answered, with a smirk.

It had been a week since Layla had been at NCIS. She was babysitting Marlaina for Leslie. Leslie was a waitress for another twenty-four hour diner and she was pulling a double. Marlaina was eleven months old and running around like a crazy woman. She, also, knew had to climb and get into things early. She was one smart baby and a handful. It was about eight o'clock at night, so Marlaina was winding down. She and Layla were in Layla's room on Layla's bed. Marlaina was on Layla's lap, while Layla read her a bedtime story. Layla heard the apartment door open and close, she knew it was Kate. Kate appeared at Layla's door. Layla looked up and saw the grief in her eyes. "Who died?" she asked. Layla changed positions so that Kate could sit.

Kate took a deep breath before talking. "Layla, something happened today." She started.

"What?" she asked, something told her that she needed to brace herself.

"Pacci's dead." Kate answered.

"No, he's not." Layla argued. Tears, freely, streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry." Kate pulled her and Marlaina into her arms.

Layla sobbed. Marlaina didn't understand what was happening, but she knew enough to know that something was wrong. "La?" she turned around and kissed Layla on the cheek. The trio sat in Layla's room for close to ten minutes. Kate continued to hold Layla and Marlaina as Layla sobbed. She felt her own tears fall.

Finally, Layla pulled away with Marlaina still on her lap. Kate wiped the tears from Layla's eyes. "What happened?" Layla asked.

"He was murdered." Kate whispered.

"By who?" she asked.

"We don't know, yet." Kate answered.

"He said he'd be okay!" Layla sobbed. "Last time we had lunch, he said he's be okay and not to worry."

Kate leaned in and kissed Layla's forehead. "Why were you worried?"

"He looked bummed. He said a cold case he was working on was getting to him, but wouldn't tell me why." She answered, trying to calm herself.

Kate pulled her and Marlaina back into her arms. "We are going to try to catch whoever did this. I don't care how long it takes, whoever killed Pacci will pay." She vowed. Layla nodded. They heard a knock that the apartment door. "That's probably Leslie." Layla kissed the top of Marlaina's head and handed her over to Kate. Kate stood up with her. "I need to call Gibbs and tell him what you told me. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

After Kate walked out, Layla curled up into a ball on her bed and cried more. She had grown close to him. She loved hanging out with Pacci. She was almost like a father. Her own father had been killed in a car accident with her mother when she was ten. Saying goodbye to him was going to be almost as hard as saying goodbye to them four years ago. Kate walked back into Layla's room. She laid next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Kate stroked Layla hair and made sure she didn't sleep until Layla did.

Almost all of NCIS, along with Pacci's family and friends, showed up that his memorial service. Layla sat in a chair by her sister and stared at Pacci's picture. It was in black and white and he looked so happy in it. Layla smiled and thought about all the times they had lunch. They never had lunch without laughing atleast once. She always wanted to keep these memories with her. She always had a backpack with her and in that backpack, she always as a notebook or two handy. She was going to write about every lunch she had with Pacci: Every detail. She started right there. Kate looked at her, but didn't ask her what she was doing. Layla was so preoccupied with the notebook, that she didn't notice anybody around her, tears falling from her face, or Kate touching her arm. After an hour of non-stop writing, she felt Kate shake her. "It's time to go."

Layla stood up and blew a kiss to Pacci's picture. "Bye, Pacci, I'll miss you." One last tear streamed down her face and she walked out with Kate. She knew that she'd never forget Pacci and he'd always be in her heart. It had to be enough for now. She knew that Kate, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee were working around the clock to catch his killer. She believed he or she would be caught.

The next day, Kate told her that they found Pacci's killer. Amanda Reid or Voss, whatever his/her name is, got they he/she deserved: death. In Layla's mind it was good reddens. Pacci got justice and that was good enough for her. She stayed up all night writing her lunches with Pacci down. Now that she was done she kept the notebook in one of her drawers, so she could read it anytime. Layla was never going to forget Chris Pacci ever.

_**A/N: Soo sad**____**. I forgot Voss' first name….o well. My sister is graduation high school later. I remember last year sitting there tuning about most the stuff those people I don't know make speeches. I'm probably going to write my next story during this time. I'm adding another OC, so the story should be up soonish if I don't get distrac…Ahhhhh! I gotta go….Bye!**_


End file.
